Water, Water- Nowhere!

Month of June? 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The blazing sun, in the sky, appears to have resolved of displaying its full vigour and the hot dusty waves seem eager to blow away everything with them. Vicky has increased the speed of his AC car and he is very excited to see Rahul, his childhood friend. After one and a half hour…

Rahul: Hello Vicky! Welcome! Hope the journey was comfortable? Tell me what would you like to have?

Vicky: Right now, only water and after that I and my car would like to have a long bath?Rahul: Fine! Drink this water and then come with me. I will show you the bathroom.Vicky: Hey Rahul! Where is the bath-tub here?Rahul: Sorry, Vicky! You will have to take a shower bath as I don't have a bath-tub in my bathroom.Vicky (surprisingly): No bath-tub in the bathroom? How funny! Any way! Let me have the first tubless bath experience of my life and, Rahul, in the meanwhile, you fill the washing machine with water, so that I can wash my clothes.Rahul: You simply put the clothes aside. I'll wash them tomorrow.Vicky: Why! Machine will do its job automatically.Rahul: Oh! Come on! Forget it! Let's sit and have a chat.Vicky: Ok. But please don't stop me from washing my car. It's looking horrible.Rahul (laughing): Fine. Better you wash your car tomorrow, as it's still dusty outside.Vicky: Is it? Oh, yes! You are right. Next Morning…Vicky (looking outside the window): Hey, Rahul! Look my car is shining. Have you washed it?Rahul: No, I had just wiped it, first with a dry and then with a wet duster and your car is shining.Vicky: Oh, really! And you seem to have washed even my clothes!Rahul: Yes! I had to wash my clothes today, and the machine has the capacity of washing at least two people's clothes at a time.Vicky (amusingly): Good! You seem to be in love with your washing machine.Rahul (smiling): I am in love but not with the machine rather with the 'Mother Nature'.Vicky: Mother Nature! Now what's the relation of machine with Nature?Rahul: There is a relation with Nature, but not of machine rather of water.Vicky: Water! Aa-ha! Now, I got the point.Rahul: No, no! We don't have shortage of water in our area.Vicky: Then, why are you so concerned for water?Rahul: I think that this requires much more a serious thought than several other political and economic issues… Well, do you know how much water is there in the world?Vicky: I think two-third of the earth's surface is covered with water.Rahul: You will be surprised to know that only 3% of the existing water on earth is fresh, and most of that being in the form of ice, only less than 1% of all fresh water is readily available for human use. In other words, we can say that 0.007% of water on earth is available for drinking.Vicky: So what? I don't think that my tub bath, use of washing machine, and washing of a car requires a large amount of water!Rahul: Vicky, you will be amazed to know the statistical figures. Approximately 3 gallons is consumed in only one toilet flush! Near around 4 gallons of water is consumed if you brush with the tap running and 0.25 gallons with the tap off, and washing a car requires a minimum of 50 gallons. Thus, in your so-called normal jobs, you use minimum 100-150 gallons of water per day, while millions of people in the world have to make it with less than 3 gallons each day.Vicky (anxiously): Less than 3 gallons? Is it due to water crisis?Rahul: Exactly, Vicky! Our water sources are under severe pressure. So, it's been said- 'We are going to run out of water before we run out of oil.' Due to over pumping, several countries have almost run out of their ground water. This depleted ground water level, in turn, results in poor grain harvests, further resulting in acute food shortages and rise in prices.Vicky: Means- Our 'Water problem' is fast turning into 'hunger problem'!Rahul: And, Vicky, you know, water pollution– another man-made hazard, has worsened the problem. According to the UN, every 15 seconds, one child loses his life from water borne diseases.Vicky (bewildered): What does all that mean?Rahul: Friend! It means– Soon a situation is going to dawn where we, with our life-boats, amidst the two-third water on earth surface, would cry– "Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink!"Hence, it's time to give water a serious thought. Use less and intelligibly as we draw on our bank-accounts.